Our Storm Shot 34.9% at Home and Mystics Ran Away With It!

Ugh, Emerald City, can we talk about last night? The Storm hosted the Mystics right here at Climate Pledge Arena on Wednesday, and man, it was a rough one. After picking up some momentum with two straight wins, we drop this game 78-64, giving Washington a road split after we smoked them on Sunday. Our ladies just couldn't find the bottom of the net, and it showed from tip-off to the final buzzer. It's frustrating to watch, especially when we know what this team is capable of!

The Offensive Woes Are Real, Y'all

Let's be real, the numbers don't lie. Our Storm shot a dismal 34.9% from the field, hitting just 22 of 63 attempts. And from downtown? Forget about it, only 5 of 23 for a painful 21.7%. That's just not going to cut it against anyone, let alone a Mystics team that came in hungry after we beat them 97-85 a few days earlier. Washington, on the other hand, hit 42.4% of their shots and 33.3% from three. We were outplayed, plain and simple. Jade Melbourne led our squad with 15 points, and Mackenzie Holmes battled hard for 8 points and 10 rebounds. But honestly, it felt like our offense was just searching for answers all night. And we definitely felt the absence of Dominique Malonga, who was out with a concussion, and Ezi Magbegor, nursing a foot injury. Getting those players back could be a game-changer for our consistency.

Mystics Seized Control From The Jump

This game was tough from the very beginning, folks. The Mystics scored the first five points and never looked back, literally. Michaela Onyenwere, who ended up with 14 points and three triples, hit two threes and a jumper in the first two minutes, putting us in a 10-1 hole. They pushed that lead to 23-9 before we even blinked, though our squad did claw back with a quick 9-0 run. But Washington held a 28-20 lead after the first quarter, with Onyenwere and Shakira Austin already combining for 21 points. Then came the second quarter, and the Mystics just kept pouring it on, going on a 16-3 run to extend their lead to a crushing 48-29 at halftime. We tried to make a push, scoring the first eight points of the second half, but Washington was up 66-45 after three quarters and eventually led by as many as 24 points. Austin was a beast for them, putting up game-high totals of 18 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists. Even the rookie bigs, our own Awa Fam, the #3 pick, and Washington's Lauren Betts, the #4 pick in the WNBA draft, played pretty evenly, with Fam getting 6 points and 5 boards in 17:15, and Betts grabbing 6 points and 3 boards in 11:16. It's just a tough loss to swallow when they never trailed.

So, the Storm are now 3-5, snapping that mini two-game win streak. We need to regroup, find that offensive rhythm, and get healthy. The road ahead is long, but every game matters. Let's see how our squad responds next time out. We bleed green and blue, and we know our Storm can bounce back!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.